Daily chess puzzle: Check Mate #33

(The book gives a mating line, but there is a problem with it; try to find the mating line, and the cook; and find a better, winning not mating, line for White).

Tallantyre v Liddelel, Newcastle 1893

Solution

In a game, I would without a doubt play 1 Bc4!, which the engine says is the best move. In Purdy terms, the Knight is tied to blocking the e file (1…Nc4?? 2 e8(Q)+)?

Knowing that the book is all about mates, I tried to make something else work: 1 Re5 de 2 Rf8+ Rf8, but I couldn’t make it work: 3 Bc4+ Kg7 and then what?

But 4 e8(N)+!! is very pretty: 4….Re8 5 Qf7 mate.

However, 2…Qf8! is considerably better:

Black creates luft at h6. After 3 ef+ Rf8 White is probably better, with Q+B v RR plus 2 extra pawns, but a win is not a forgone conclusion. My acid test~: would I win the position below against Carlsen? Possibly, but possibly not.